THE UNEXPECTED CALL
An Encounter With Jesus Changes Everything…So How Do We Position Ourselves to Encounter Him?
Revelation 3:20, “Look! I stand at the door and knock. If you hear my voice and open the door, I will come in, and we will share a meal together as friends. Those who are victorious will sit with me on my throne, just as I was victorious and sat with my Father on his throne.”
John had firsthand experience with Jesus. He encountered Him in the flesh and spent three years in close proximity to Jesus, so when John tells us that Jesus is knocking, ready and waiting for us to open the door, we need to pay attention. If we want to encounter Jesus, we need to listen so we can hear and be prepared to act and open the door of our hearts so that He gains entry and can change us from the inside out.
Daniel 10:12, “Just then a hand touched me and lifted me, still trembling, to my hands and knees. And the man said to me, “Daniel, you are very precious to God, so listen carefully to what I have to say to you. Stand up, for I have been sent to you.” When he said this to me, I stood up, still trembling. Then he said, “Don’t be afraid, Daniel. Since the first day you began to pray for understanding and to humble yourself before your God, your request has been heard in heaven. I have come in answer to your prayer.”
Daniel had an encounter with a man who many theologians believe was the pre-incarnate Jesus. We read that this encounter came as a result of Daniel’s seeking of understanding through prayer and a posture of humility. Jesus will meet us in our need, just as He met Daniel, when we seek Him humbly through prayer.
Proverbs 2:1-8, “My child, listen to what I say, and treasure my commands.
Tune your ears to wisdom, and concentrate on understanding.
Cry out for insight, and ask for understanding.
Search for them as you would for silver; seek them like hidden treasures.
Then you will understand what it means to fear the Lord, and you will gain knowledge of God.
For the Lord grants wisdom! From his mouth come knowledge and understanding.
He grants a treasure of common sense to the honest. He is a shield to those who walk with integrity.
He guards the paths of the just and protects those who are faithful to him.”
Proverbs is full of direction on how to seek wisdom. Solomon knew that when he wanted to encounter God, he had to seek and search in order to gain knowledge. It is not any different for us. Jesus will meet us in our seeking. When we cry out to Him, we can be assured that He hears us. We can also rest in the promise that He is our shield and will guard and protect those who are faithful to Him.
Psalm 91:14-16, “The Lord says, “I will rescue those who love me.
I will protect those who trust in my name.
When they call on me, I will answer;
I will be with them in trouble. I will rescue and honor them.
I will reward them with a long life and give them my salvation.”
The author of Psalm 91 focused on the steadfast promises of God. If we want to encounter Jesus, we need to do the same. We love Him, not in word alone, but we let our actions speak of our love. We trust Him, by walking in obedience even when we do not understand. When we do these things, Jesus WILL answer us, He will be with us, He will rescue and honor us and reward us with a long life and bless us with His salvation.
IF WE WANT TO BE CHANGED BY JESUS, WE HAVE TO DO OUR PART TO PREPARE TO ENCOUNTER HIM. JESUS KNOWS OUR HEARTS AND IF WE DESIRE TO ENCOUNTER AND BE CHANGED BY HIM, OR IF WE ARE JUST GOING THROUGH THE MOTIONS. JESUS WILL NOT FORCE CHANGE UPON ANYONE, BUT HE WILL MEET EACH OF US IN OUR NEED.
Jeremiah 29:12-13, “In those days when you pray, I will listen. If you look for me wholeheartedly, you will find me.”
God promised through Jeremiah that when we seek an encounter with Him, we will have one. When we pray, He will listen, when we look for Him with our whole heart, He will be found by us.
PUTTING THIS INTO PRACTICE
How are you positioned today? Are you holding space, still passively waiting but not seeking? Or are you actively searching, praying and looking for an encounter with God? How can you shift from sitting to seeking?
Look in the gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke or John) for an example of someone who had an encounter with Jesus. Share what you found with your small group.
Read Exodus 3:1-6 about Moses’s first encounter with God. If we look at it quickly, we may not see Moses as actively seeking. What do you think it is about Moses that led God to call him to rescue Israel? Share your thoughts with your small group.
Ask God what you can do to position yourself to have an encounter with Jesus today, and journal what He tells you, then put it into practice.
There are times we can have an encounter with God but not realize it for what it is, just as the disciples on the road to Emmaus did not realize they were in the middle of an encounter at first.
Read Luke 24:13-35 slowly.
Think of a time or situation in your own life when you had a ‘road to Emmaus’ encounter, but did not recognize it for what it was until later. If the same situation happened again, what could you do differently? What are some steps you can take to be more aware of the subtle encounters that arise?
Sometimes before the encounter the Holy Spirit stirs our hearts, and that is why we need to pay close attention. What are things you can do to develop your sensitivity to the promptings of the Holy Spirit?
The cry of our hearts as believers seeking after Jesus is to be changed by an encounter with Him. Jesus wants for us to be changed, because as we are changed, we will carry that change into the world around us and motivate others to seek to be changed as well.
Search for someone who had an encounter with Jesus in Scripture that did not produce lasting change and discuss with your small group.
Can you think of a time in your life when you were changed by an encounter with Jesus? Are you still walking in that change or have the results faded over time? Share and discuss with your small group.
It is in our seeking and our desire to be changed that our encounters with Jesus will have the impact that changes not only our life but the lives around us. Take some time to write a prayer to Jesus asking Him to help stir your spirit to seek Him more earnestly so that any encounters will have a lasting and fruitful impact, not just on you, but on countless others who need to encounter Jesus and will only do so through you.
